Aside from carat weight, the second thing consumers notice is diamond color. Typically, the least amount of color is most desirable. The GIA scale ranges from D-Z, with D being completely colorless. Further, these grades are divided into categories.
Grades from D-F are known as being in the colorless category. These diamonds are much more rare and show no color face up or face down.
The second category is near colorless, which includes grades G-J. Stones in this range are much more common in the jewelry industry. However, there is quite a difference in appearance between a G and a J color grade. According to the GIA, stones with these grades are colorless face up and near colorless face down. However, from being exposed to stones from a variety of color grades in this range, you will begin to notice color with grades I and J when place on a white background. When the diamonds are placed in a mounting, the untrained eye will not notice any color. The wonderful thing about the near colorless category is that you can get an excellent diamond for great value. For example, if carat weight and clarity are more important to you, color is one area that you can sacrifice without a noticeable difference.
The next three categories are considered undesirable by many consumers. Grade K-M are considered the faint yellow category, grades N-R are included in the very light yellow category, and grades S-Z are considered a part of the light yellow category. Anything beyond the z color grade is technically considered to be fancy yellow; however, with a trained eye and trade experience many jewelers consider diamonds in the very light yellow and light yellow categories to be a form of fancy yellow. To learn about fancy yellow diamonds, visit http://instylediamondsblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/lets-get-fancy-fancy-yellow-that-is.html.
When choosing color, the biggest price differences generally occur between D and E grades and F and G grades. The first difference occurs because of a matter of rarity. D, being completely colorless and the highest on the color scale is extremely rare. With rarity comes value and with value comes an increase in price. If you would like the absence of color but do not want to pay the D color price, it is usually recommended to purchase a diamond with an E or F color. The second difference in price is because of a shift in category. Most diamonds on the market are in the near colorless range making them less rare than the colorless diamonds. While there is not a significant difference in appearance between F and G color grades, the category difference will affect the price of a diamond.
When deciding which color is best for you, first consider the type of metal of the setting. If you intend to set the diamond in white gold, platinum, or palladium, we suggest you choose a diamond in the colorless and near colorless category. If you intend to set your diamond in yellow or rose gold, we suggest you purchase a stone in the near colorless or faint yellow category.
This is because the setting will mask a lot of the color in the diamond and will make it appear much whiter than it is.
Because most consumers place diamonds in platinum or white gold settings, we recommend purchasing in colorless or near colorless categories. If you are a little pickier, we recommend G color grades and above. However, because at InStyle diamonds we offer wholesale prices to the public, color is one area you do not have to sacrifice to get a great price. To view our selection of diamond inventory at wholesale prices, visit http://www.instylediamonds.com/rt/sform.pl?cfg=adi.
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